MTB and wine in Georgia

Join us for a unique MTB-adventure in the Caucasus!

About

Georgia is considered by many as the birthplace of wine-production, and this tour goes to the heartland of Georgias wine-district, Kakheti. We have put together a spectacular combination of Caucasian singletrack, vineyards, visit to the amazing Pankisi-gorge and city-life in the vibrant and charming Tbilisi. We will visit during the harvest and take part in the traditional grape-harvesting, while the mountains are bathed in autumn-colours!

Difficulty
Advanced

Group size4 - 7 persons

Duration6 days

Price1590 EUR

Included in the price:

NMIG guide for 5 days

All accommodation

Alle meals from local produce

All transport in Georgia

Wine-tasting and tour in a wine-museum

Traditional Chechen folk evening with folk-music and dance

Itinerary

The area

Practical info

Itinerary

Day 1:

Arrival in Tbilisi in the early hours, and transport to the hotel where we will rest a bit till around noon. After a hearty breakfast we mount the cars and drive towards Kakheti. Along the way we will get our first taste of the Caucasian hills and mountains as we stop by a small freeride-heaven on the way from Tbilisi to Kakheti. Accommodation at a family-run vineyard in Napareuli.

Day 2:

We have our breakfast next to the vines, before we head towards the mountains. We will get a lift to about 1500 meters, from where it will be a bit of pushbike and some carrying on a beautiful singletrack that takes us up to one of the summer-farms in the mountains. We follow the same singletrack down, and finish with a playful doubletrack packed with small natural jumps and serpentine-turns. In the evening we will have a wine-tasting and a tour of the vineyards wine-museum.

Day 3:

After breakfast we will be transported to the Pankisi-gorge, an amazing valley inhabited by Chechens, and its unique culture and history. We leave our luggage at the guesthouse, and get a ride up to 2100 meters from where we will pushbike up to the summit at 2400 meters. What awaits is 1800 vertical meters on a fantastic and playful trail.

Day 4:

Another transport up to about 2000 meters, and we bike toward the saddle of a ridge where we either go straight down to the valley or aim for a summit at 2500 meters. Both from the saddle and the summit we have an amazing view of Kakheti, Tusheti national park, and the border-mountains to Russia. The trail down is among the most spectacular trails we have ever ridden, and takes us all the way down to the valley from the alpine summits. We finish our stay in Pankisi with a Chechen folk evening with traditional folk-music and dance.

Day 5:

Following another solid and delicious breakfast in Pankisi we head towards the big city. On the way we will spend the day in Tbilisi National park on the magnificent singletracks spread out across the beautiful forests of the park. A truly worthy ending of our tour. We wrap it all up with a farewell-dinner in the vibrating and charming old-town of Tbilisi.

Day 6:

The area

Georgia

Georgia is located quite far south and is at the same longitude as Monaco. This means you can expect a fairly similar climate as around the Mediterranean. The Kakheti-region is among the driest areas of Georgia, and on our tours in September/October it is usually between 15 and 25 celsius. The mountains are still close and we will be biking up to around 2500 meters. Even though the Caucasian mountains are very fertile and usually mild in temperature, there will still be quite a big difference in temperature from the valleys to the mountains.

We will be biking on singletracks, doubletracks, rough dirt-roads, freeride on mountain ridges, and beautiful trails through the forest.

Practical info

Level of difficulty

Advanced

You are confident in all aspects of mountain biking
You can handle most technical terrain, include rocky and root trails, along with features such as switchbacks, medium logs (15 cm high), and low-level obstacles
You’re comfortable with most advanced level trails (although you may walk a few sections)

You can ride 6-8 hours a day at a steady pace over several days
You have little trouble climbing 1,000 vertical meters (3,280 ft.) in a day on fairly steep terrain

How to get there

Tbilisi has good connections from most major European cities. Most of the flights arrive in the early hours, which is why we also have managed to include biking already on the arrival day. If you are in doubt on what flights to choose, or need any help please don´t hesitate to contact us.

Accommodation

On our tours double-rooom is the standard for almost all accommodation. On some mountain farms, huts or the like family rooms or rooms that sleep more than two might occur. If you want a single-room there might be some additional costs.

Equipment

We recommend full suspension bikes on all of our tours. We will issue a recommended packing list for every tour. Please note that the packing list is issued as a reference, and Urørt ski og sykkeleventyr AS is not responsible for failing to include any particular item or misspellings on this list.

Terms of payment

When the order is placed an invoice for the deposit, equaling 30 % of the total price, will be issued. Final payment is due 60 days prior to departure. The agreement between the parties is not binding until the deposit is paid in full. To read our full terms and conditions click here.

Your guides

Audun holds a passion for mountain-adventures, and especially secret gems off the beaten path. Through Svaneti Backcountry and Urørt, he has been organizing guided ski-tours to Svaneti since 2013, and he has first-hand knowledge of the skiing, culture, and local partners of the area.

As a mtb-guide he is at the top of his game in this own backyard, in the neigbouring mountains to Rondane National Park, or at exotic destinations like Georgia. Wherever the tour goes he is ready to show you the best trails adjusted to your level and needs.

Weather and climate

Georgia is located quite far south and is at the same longitude as Monaco. This means you can expect a fairly similar climate as around the Mediterranean. The Kakheti-region is among the driest areas of Georgia, and on our tours in September/October it is usually between 15 and 25 celsius. The mountains are still close and we will be biking up to around 2500 meters. Even though the Caucasian mountains are very fertile and usually mild in temperature, there will still be quite a big difference in temperature from the valleys to the mountains.

We will be biking on singletracks, doubletracks, rough dirt-roads, freeride on mountain ridges, and beautiful trails through the forest.